Back to basics: Simple toys bring lasting joy

Everybody has a list out of the top toys for children. Some lists are based on what toys stimulate the brain or help develop fine and gross motor skills. Others are determined by marketing experts, who predict the must-have toys of the season.

Well, my list is based on the toys that still have a place in our toy basket and my girls' closets. These are the toys that have not been donated to Alpha House or lumped in a pile of yard sale toys because the kids quit playing with them after a couple of months. These are the toys that didn't break. These are the toys, some 5 years old, that they enjoy and use today as much as when they opened them on past Christmas mornings and birthdays.

They are not glitzy or glamorous. They don't light up or talk. They are not the toys my girls saw in a commercial and asked for repeatedly. But they are the toys they play with more than any others. Most appeal to children under age 7.

None of them require assembly. Only one requires batteries. And most of these cost under $20.

Balls. Sounds simple, but kids of any age love balls. They can play with them by themselves or with somebody else. When my girls were babies, we had a clear plastic ball with hundreds of tiny balls inside it. Now they are crazy about the rubber balls I got at Kash n' Karry for $2 each. One has a princess scene complete with castle and sunset on it, and the other has rainbow stripes. I saw a set of balls for kids to make with hundreds of different colored rubber bands for $15 in a catalog. I bet you could get the same rubber bands at Office Depot.

Books. I know that some kids aren't thrilled to open up just a plain old book, but when the plastic-lightup junk is broken, that book will still work for years to come. If you want more than story and picture books, try a sticker book or coloring book.

Blocks. There are all types and sizes, from Legos to the cardboard bricks. Our favorites are a set of about 50 wooden, brightly painted blocks shaped in squares, rectangles and cylinders in multiple sizes, but none bigger than my hand. We also have loved the thick cardboard nesting blocks that can stack 5 feet high and then all fit back into one big block.

Crayons, markers, paper and other art supplies. Again, seems simple, but they offer hours of fun. You may think the child on your gift list already has plenty of crayons, but there is nothing better than a new box. Stamp pads, stamps, glitter glue and scissors are also great additions to a shoebox of art supplies for kids all ages.

Dressup clothes. Boys and girls love to dress up. Preschool teachers say the dressup and kitchen corners are always the crowd pleasers. We get great slightly used bridesmaid dresses from Goodwill stores for under $5 each. Check the clearance rack of party stores to find leftover Halloween costumes, from pirates to Scooby-Doo. Target and Kmart sell fancy plastic shoes girls love to wear around the house even without a costume. Tap shoes, from Kmart, are fun, too.

Felt boards. Kids can constantly create different scenes with a felt board and a stack of felt dogs, children, rocket ships, boats or flowers. Toys stores sell the boards and sets of felt pieces ranging from movies scenes to outdoor pictures, or you can cut out your own and use fabric paint to add faces and other details.

Little people and animals. Once they are past the put-everything-in-your-mouth stage, kids love to have a big pile of little stuff to play with, organize into families, put in a parade or just cram in an egg carton. My 3-year-old has a fleet of plastic sea creatures that go everywhere with her, from the bathtub to the airplane tray table to her plastic farm at home. You can give a whole set with the farm, house, car or whatever and the characters, but I've found what they really like most are the plastic figures. TJ Maxx usually sells tubes of about 20 figures, from dinosaurs to farm animals, for $5.

Music. Some old friends of mine gave my girls a big box of musical instruments two years ago that was one of the most exciting presents they have ever opened. It had sand blocks, a triangle chime, a tambourine, maracas and more. We've since added pieces such as a harmonica and train whistle here and there. One good instrument or several will thrill children, though probably not their parents.

Plastic food. A box of plastic hamburgers, grapes, Oreo cookies and much more is the oldest toy in our toy basket. Any time my kids have friends over to play, at least one child always gets the food out to set up a party, picnic, restaurant or school cafeteria. This is also a gift you can add to over the years.

Puppets. Give children two furry, funny puppets, and they will amaze you. Even before our youngest could talk, she was putting on puppet shows. Check www.DiscountSchoolSupply.com for sets of six or more puppets starting at $14. Or just give one or two. A puppet stage is also a great present if you are looking for a big-ticket item.

Tape recorder and tapes. Our sturdy, plastic tape recorder has put my children to bed for about three years. After we read them a few books, we play a tape on the tape recorder that they listen to as they fall asleep. We also use it on car trips. You can get lots of children's books from Tarzan to Make Way for Ducklings to Curious George on tape, and there are plenty with just children's songs.

Two years ago, my mother in North Carolina started making her own book tapes for the girls by recording herself reading Dr. Seuss and other books they love. If parents or grandparents bought a cassette tape and recorded themselves reading books or just telling favorite stories, that would be a $4 gift that children and parents would treasure for a lifetime.

Dr. T. Berry Brazelton, the well known pediatrician and author of books translated into 18 languages, will speak Dec. 12 and 13 at the Mahaffey Theater in St. Petersburg.

The talk at 7 p.m. Dec. 12 will focus on the many stresses parents face today and will include a question and answer session. Tickets cost $25.

On Dec. 13 Brazelton will lead a professional seminar from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. for child care providers, physicians, counselors, social workers, educators and more. Continuing education hours will be awarded. Tuition ranges from $80 to $120. Call the Junior League of St. Petersburg at 895-5018 for more information.

-- You can reach Katherine Snow Smith by e-mail at Oliviachar@aol.com; or write Rookie Mom, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg,

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